Formerly known by names including "Atlas" and "Timely", Marvel Entertainment is the publisher of comic books featuring iconic characters and teams such as the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America and Daredevil. Currently owned by the Walt Disney Company, Marvel is one of the "Big Two" comic publishers along with DC Comics.

Which Marvel Lady Should Get Her Own Ongoing?

There's no question that Marvel's women have made some serious impact on the Marvel Universe as a whole. They've contributed to countless cross overs and story arcs, but they they are still rarely portrayed as leaders in their own right. I often feel like there are so many that could be more than just "supporting cast characters." Take for example Ms. Marvel, who's series managed to last up to issue 50 before being canceled. Ms. Marvel has gone from the star of her own series to a background character in some of the Avengers books. Is that a way to treat one of Marvel's most powerful superheroines? And as far as I know, Marvel has a lot of women superheroes to choose from, so why aren't these ladies headlining more books?

Which one would you like to see get her own ongoing series?

Also, what do you think it would take for a Marvel book headlined by one of their female characters to succeed?

Or, Spider-Man's Girlfriend: Mary Jane. Where she is in random scenarios and hijinx every issue. Like getting superpowers or taking care of Spider-Man's super babies while he goes out and dates someone else.

Or, Spider-Man's Girlfriend: Mary Jane. Where she is in random scenarios and hijinx every issue. Like getting superpowers or taking care of Spider-Man's super babies while he goes out and dates someone else.

I should say, I think it's always been hard for Marvel's female characters to thrive, and I don't really know why. I think Storm would be a strong enough character to hold her own in a series. I think maybe Ms Marvel is a bit too straight-laced to last for long in an ongoing. She needs to have more of an edge to her, or something to take her in new directions. I loved Black Widow's solo series but I'm not sure she's got a big enough fanbase to support her. My suggestion of Sharon Carter is a curveball, but I think something novel like that might work. It could be like a spy series along the lines of a Black Widow ongoing - Sharon Carter, Agent of SHIELD or something like that.

Ms. Marvel. I had a lot of fun with her last ongoing series. And I know I've been pushing this one for a while, but Dazzler. Sure, she's silly, but they have the potential to make her into a great character.

I agree! I miss AoA Blink and Sage. Also they shouldn't have cancelled Ms Marvel's ongoing.

I also feel that Songbird would have an interesting one.

@Babs said:

@Daveyo520 said:

Or, Spider-Man's Girlfriend: Mary Jane. Where she is in random scenarios and hijinx every issue. Like getting superpowers or taking care of Spider-Man's super babies while he goes out and dates someone else.

That comic would not sell lmao

LOL

@harleyquinn12 said:

Ms. Marvel. I had a lot of fun with her last ongoing series. And I know I've been pushing this one for a while, but Dazzler. Sure, she's silly, but they have the potential to make her into a great character.

Ms. Marvel should definitely get another chance at a solo series...her last series was great and shouldn't have been canceled someone above said Squirrel Girl and while that may not sound like a good idea the little voice in the back of my head is saying "I would totally read that"

This! Ms. Marvel. And.

I'd love to see Spider-Woman, Black Widow and Abigal Brand all given ongoings. Brand to me was the star of S.W.O.R.D. a book I LOVED that Marvel should have held on to. It was one of the silliest most fun reads around, mostly because of the playful banter between her and Beast.

Along this line, I recently wrote Marvel about the lack of women with their own books. I don't know if they listen, but I sure hope they do. It p#sses me off more than a little bit that they have not been showcasing any of the female super heroes or villains.

This is one of the problems I see with the Marvel cast of women when compared to DC. DC has a lot of female characters that I think can support being the lead of their own series (Catwoman, Barbra Gordon, Cassandra Cain, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Power Girl, ect.). Marvel, not so much.

I agree about Ms. Marvel but she's always been developed as more of an individual and less of a team member. Marvel has more based itself around team oriented stories. Even with Storm as powerful of a force that she is I don't think could support being the lead. The character to be the lead needs a compelling story of their own. Most of Storm's stories would involve the X-Men so often that it would just feel like another X-Men book and not a Storm book. Wolverine made it work for so long because there was so much of his past that was unknown to even himself. It gave the basis for a number of stories that had little to nothing to do with the X-Men. He wasn't always a member of the team and a lot of his tales involved Logan's life before being a member. He had a quest of his own outside of the team.As much as I like Black Cat, I don't think she's the kind of personality to really support her own stories. She shows up, she tries to get his Spider-man's pants (but the mask stays on), and that pretty much sums up her character. She really doesn't have the depth of Catwoman.

This all leads back to that article that Tony wrote a while back about who are the iconic women of Marvel. DC has a lot, and Marvel has almost none that could be called truly iconic. Marvel's big idea for a comic for women was that god awful Sex in the City parody,

Or, Spider-Man's Girlfriend: Mary Jane. Where she is in random scenarios and hijinx every issue. Like getting superpowers or taking care of Spider-Man's super babies while he goes out and dates someone else.

You're setting the bar too low. Half of the population of the earth (and, presumably, the Marvel U) is female. Why shouldn't fully half of Marvel's books star females? Are women are less heroic? Less interesting?

I'm sure the response will be that most of the audience is male. But that only begs the question. Maybe that's only so because the books are about males.

Ms. Marvel no doubt Squirrel Girl would be adorably epic Abigail Brand: Agent of SWORD The Amazing Spider-Woman The Incredible She-Hulk ElektraBlack Widow- Because too many redheads is never a bad thing

I'd also be very open to a Femme Fatal Team starring: -Invisible Woman -Ms. Marvel -Spider-Woman -Storm -She-Hulk -Mockingbird

NONE

Times are too tough money wise, She Hulk was a good ongoing, Ms Marvel was a good ongoing, Spider-girl, Black Widow was a good ongoing, but MOST of you didn't buy it. X-Men Legacy is essentially a Rogue ongoing, a bunch of female characters have had some good ongoings and one shots, that if they sold better, would indicate to Marvel a that aren't so risky to take a bet on. What can Marvel do? Well, they could take Bendis and they could take Greg Land and they could probably take one of the female characters I mentioned and produce a successful ongoing but fans of those characters, like the ones down here on the ground level? The ones who like those characters already? Yeah we won't really be getting a good deal. I mean... unless its Jessica Jones and MAX. Except then that would mean taking Bendis off Avengers where he sells well and why would a business consciously try to lose money. Want to compare to DC? Almost all DC female solo titles would be cancelled if they were Marvel books. So maybe its Marvel and how much they want to profit? Maybe? Maybe their artists and writers get paid more? Maybe some books support other books. Who knows for sure. I don't want a She Hulk book if it means Marvel hiring cheaper and therefore potentially weaker writers and artists to do a She Hulk book.

That being said, if you know, fans changed and realized you don't have to identify with a characters race or gender to appreciate them or the story they are in, and therefore it was less riskier for books to be made with good characters so we can potentially get good stories... I'd like... a Ms Marvel, She Hulk, Mystique, Sue Storm, Moonstone, Storm, Dazzler, Elektra, Black Widow, Valkyrie, Dead Girl, Meggan, Scarlet Witch, Jean Grey, Wasp, Emma Frost, and Rogue ongoing. Of course, not just that I would like them to have an ongoing, I believe they should get ongoings, Now only should, but like, I know how they should be done as well, themes, plots, supporting characters, so on. Nyeh!

@darkcloakx: She did have one a while back, (A Mystique Ongoing title) I know its not the same as a new one, but if you ever have a spare random couple of dollars, the TPB's might be a good investment. Was a good serious that was criminally underrated.

Definitely, and it wasn't just a good series for Mystique alone, it was a great series for her supporting cast as well. This is especially noteworthy, because there are a ton of great characters in comics, male and female, who don't get enough panel time, and a good solo ongoing book, can use this by having great supporting characters. Marjorie Liu is also using this to great effect in X-23 ongoing book, having Gambit and Jubilee, and Daken show up and be well written, and even other smaller cameos. X-23 is still the star however. Oh plus thank you, its nice to know other people liked it (Mystiques ongoing) as well lol *smile*

I think that Domino would make a great character for a movie. She is lesser known for one. That might spark interest. Her skills are very military/assassin like and her mutant power is not over the top, out of this world, or hard to wrap your head around. Her personality is very much made for the big screen. She does not follow orders well when with team mates, she is sarcastic, and though she is brave she can show emotions of fear and anxiety. Oh, and she would have a hot unzipped leather outfit like Selen in Underworld. I also have to agree like Ms. Marvel too.

There's no question that Marvel's women have made some serious impact on the Marvel Universe as a whole. They've contributed to countless cross overs and story arcs, but they they are still rarely portrayed as leaders in their own right. I often feel like there are so many that could be more than just "supporting cast characters." Take for example Ms. Marvel, who's series managed to last up to issue 50 before being canceled. Ms. Marvel has gone from the star of her own series to a background character in some of the Avengers books. Is that a way to treat one of Marvel's most powerful superheroines? And as far as I know, Marvel has a lot of women superheroes to choose from, so why aren't these ladies headlining more books?

Which one would you like to see get her own ongoing series?

Also, what do you think it would take for a Marvel book headlined by one of their female characters to succeed?

I think you got it in one. I LOVED the Ms Marvel series right up until Dark Reign totally derailed it and I KEPT buying it hoping it would come back and be awesome and then they killed it.